N is for Needles
by IvyNyx
Summary: Carlos keeps a sewing needle in the cuff of his pants, it's not for fashion emergencies.


I don't own any of the recognizable places or characters. This story is part of a series that is called Descendants A-Z and is cross posted (always under "IvyNyx").

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Carlos never fit in, on the Isle he was too good. Now he was in Auradon and he was too bad. He couldn't help who his mother was, he probably could help who his friends were, but they were the only people who had ever stuck by him.

Him and Evie had become friends over their mutual love of science. She was the only person on the Isle that could help him with his projects and actually understand what he was doing. Jay and Mal could follow directions but didn't understand the machines well enough to offer suggestions.

Mal and him had started out as near enemies, but when she realized that he was more than the slave to his insane mother she claimed him as one of her minions. First to do her homework, then she'd found he was actually fun to be around. He couldn't steal like Jay, or flirt like Evie but his shy helpless demeanor often worked to distract some of the harder marks, like Lady Tremaine, who seemed to have a soft spot for the freckled boy.

Jay was a surprise, Carlos never thought the other would befriend him. They'd met through Mal, and Jay always put him down, because he saw no use for the broken boy. Then one day Jafar was yelling at Jay about not stealing enough and Carlos did what no one else ever had. He stood up to Jafar, he told to old vizier exactly where to fuck off to, complete with directions on how to get there. Mal and Evie had stood by watching, no one believing the rant that bubbled out of Carlos. In the end the four of them marched off together, leaving behind a stunned vizier and a whispering market place.

From that day on no one underestimated Carlos De Vil, it was clear to anyone who looked he didn't care about much in the world, but the few things he did care about he protected fiercely.

As time went on the four of them had become inseparable, whispers around the Isle said they were going to over throw Maleficent herself someday. Then they were sent to Auradon and the Isle secretly rejoiced, most hoping the four never returned. It was just unnatural for villains to be that close to each other.

When they exited the limo in Auradon they were once again at odds because of how close they were. Half the time they didn't speak, but knew what the others were doing. The first real example Auradon had was when King Adam's statue shifted, Carlos jumped into Jay's arms, the older boy catching him without a single thought. There was no way he could have known what would happen, but to an outsider it _looked_ like he did. And in Auradon looks were everything.

After the coronation they chose good, but they were still considered bad. Mal still intimidated everyone, Evie was a shameless flirt, Jay stole anything that wasn't nailed down and Carlos, Carlos enjoyed alcohol and marijuana. Aside from that he did nothing wrong, but he was judged by who his friends were.

It was the one year anniversary of their escape from the Isle. The four of them were sitting in a square, boys on one side, girls on the other. In the middle was a spread of junk food and drinks. Music played in the background, Carlos and Jay each had a cigarette dangling from their hands. Mal was nursing a wine cooler and Evie was trying to find a lighter for the pipe. No one had the heart to tell her it was in her hand.

"Does princey poo know you're misbehaving with us?" Jay asked his purple haired friend.

"Mhmm, where do you think I got the weed from. For a king he has good connections" Mal said with a lazy grin.

"Before you ask, no Doug doesn't know. He thinks were studying." Evie said.

"We are, we're studying how long it takes you to find an object that is in your fucking hand!" Carlos told her. She looked at her hand surprised.

"Shit" she said before holding the flame to the bowl. One coughing fit later she passed it to Mal. Carlos laid down on the floor, he squirmed for a minute before letting his head rest on Jays leg. Jay absently ran his fingers through Carlos's hair making him smile.

"I still think you two should hook up" Mal said looking at her friends. "He flirts with everyone and most of the school thinks you don't know what a dick is, it's the perfect match!"

"How the hell is that a good match?" Evie asked.

"Dunno, they balance each other out I guess." Mal said, trying to think of a way to defend her point.

"I'm not having this discussing again" Carlos whined.

Every time Mal drank she tried to get Jay and Carlos together. Carlos had a crush on Jay the size of Auradon, the thief knew it but didn't feel the same. He and Carlos had a silent agreement, nothing past cuddling. Jay spent most of his time using Carlos as an arm rest. Anytime they smoked Carlos turned Jay into a pillow. Most nights they slept together to ward off the nightmares that plagued both of them. They didn't talk about feelings, and no their arrangement wasn't awkward, thank you very much.

"Oh come on, just one more time!" Mal whined.

"Mal, leave it, please. It really bugs 'Los" Jay said.

"Oh fine. Sensitive little runt."

Carlos stiffened before standing up, "Come get me when cunt face leaves" he said while walking out the door.

"Ugh, you need to quit drinking cunt face" jay said, only half joking.

"I'll bring her to our room. You go get Carlos." Evie said.

"I can bring myself there!" Mal said getting up and stumbling through the door.

"Really, even I can see you falling for him. Mal does need to shut up about it around him, but you two need to talk feelings one of these days." Evie said following Mal out.

Jay groaned, this was not how the night was suppose to end. He flopped on the couch, deciding to take Evie's advice, he knew Carlos would be easy to find. He tried to think about his own feelings before he tried to talk about them. He started at what he hoped would be the end, he tried to picture his future, a life where he didn't see Carlos every day. Each of them happy with someone else. He sort of managed, but it didn't feel right. With a sigh he let his imagination play with the idea of him and Carlos being together. Instantly his head showed him wrapping his arms around a pale torso while the other boy leaned over the stove, clearly cooking something. It felt like a rock settled into his stomach. Still, they could still be just friends in that thought. Suddenly his head brought back the same image, this time Carlos tipped his head back to kiss Jay's jaw. When he went back to looking at the stove Jay kissed his neck.

"Son of a bitch!" Jay said to the empty room, throwing his beanie across the room. He hated it when Evie was right.

Meanwhile Carlos stomped out of the school. Curfew be dammed, it's not like anyone actually enforced it, they were just expected to be _good._ He walked down to the bleachers, he laid on one, his head dangling into the aisle. He hated Mal, she never knew when to just shut up. She knew he'd fallen for Jay, she was the first person he told, simultaneously admitting he was gay. Once the shock wore off she started pestering him to tell jay. Which he did after a month or so of her not so subtle reminders. That was nearly three months ago, shortly after the coronation. Jay hadn't been an asshole about it, but in a way that almost made it worse. The dark haired boy had pulled him into a hug and softly told him he didn't feel the same. But he still held him, they still slept together. Carlos thought everything would change with his confession, but nothing did.

He stretched out on the bench, letting his arms fall to the step below him. He traced the lines on his wrist. No one ever questioned them, surely someone had seen them by now. The whole self harm thing was far from new to him, only half of his scars came from his mother. It was the only thing he could control, it made him feel alive. With a sigh he put his leg up and reached back pulling out the needle he'd threaded into the cuff of his pants. Another thing he had to assume someone had seen, but never questioned. He'd pilfered the needled from Evie, just a plain sewing needle. He ran it under his nails, cleaning them absently.

He wasn't paying much attention to his physical body. He was lost in his thoughts. He hated being called a runt, it was his mothers go to insult. No one had called him it since they left the Isle, it hurt more than it used to. With a start he realized his thumb hand multiple drops of blood on it where he'd been pushing the needle in until it pierced the skin before moving to another spot and repeating it. Oh well, that wasn't anything particularly new. That's what made this hard, it wasn't new. He'd had a crush on jay since the Isle. The day he tore into Jafar he thought the world would guess, but no one did. They just assumed it was one friend defending another.

Mal had her heart in the right place, but her head was up her ass. Somehow she never understood just how much it hurt Carlos to be reminded that he'd never have Jay. No matter how many nights he fell asleep in the other boys arms he would never be allowed to give him a kiss goodnight. It didn't matter how often Jay used him as a walking arm rest, he could never reach up and hold his hand while they walked. Tears slid out of his eyes as he though of just how badly he wanted those little things. He never had much interest in sex, but he wanted the romance. He wanted the affection that came with a real relationship.

Carlos was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. He shoved the needle back into his pants cuff and wiped his eyes. He could tell it was jay by the foot steps and there were some things he really didn't want to talk about. His feelings topped that list, self harm was a very close second.

Jay found him with ease, he always did. He laid on the wide step and scooted over so he was looking up at Carlos, ignoring the way his stomach flipped. That was a new development.

"So cunt face was your best insult?" Jay asked with a grin.

"I had better, but I wanted to make sure she understood it." Carlos smiled, Jay didn't seem mad, that was a good thing. "Where's your hat?" Carlos couldn't remember the last time he saw jay awake and hat-less.

"Threw it across the room, might have forgotten to pick it back up" jay said.

"The hell did you do that for?"

"Over thinking"

"Wait, you know how to think?" Carlos reached down to shake jays head, "I don't hear anything in there."

Carlos heart stopped, Jay grabbed his hand and turned his arm so the moonlight hit it. "I know there isn't a cat loose on campus" Jay said softly, looking up to meet Carlos eyes.

Carlos saw the concern and sadness before he looked away, he didn't want Jay to worry about him even more. "It's nothing."

Jay sat up and let his arm rest along Carlos back, "that's not nothing, talk to me dude"

Silence.

"'Los please, talk to me. Or we can go to Evie, someone, please talk."

"Just me being a worthless runt again. Don't worry I won't actually kill myself, it's just a few scratches."

"What the hell did you make them with?" Jay asked, trying to keep his voice calm. He really wanted to shake Carlos for a few minutes. They'd been through this self harm thing more times they he wanted to count. Carlos put his leg up and yanked the needle out again, he held it so the light glinted off it. Jay signed and made a split second decision, he didn't know what inspired it but he knew it would help. He silently held his arm out so the needle pressed lightly on his wrist.

"Go on, you wanna sketch lines, do it." jay said his voice soft.

"I don't wanna hurt you" Carlos said, taken aback that Jay would even suggest that.

"Then don't do it to yourself either. Let me tell you, this" he traced lightly over the lines, "hurts, a lot."

"No it doesn't, Cruellea did way worse." Carlos said still not looking at Jay.

"Dude, you spent your whole life thinking about others, I _know_ the lines don't hurt you. But I promise they do hurt." Jay said. Carlos tipped his head to look at Jay, the thief held his arms out silently asking for a hug. Carlos rolled off the bench and crawled into Jay's lap, letting his head rest on the bigger boys chest while his arms wrapped around his stomach.

"Better. Now you wanna tell me what the hell happened, Mal never gets to you like that." Jay said, his hand absently rubbing Carlos's back.

"Promise you won't get mad? It's kinda repetitive at this point." Carlos muttered.

"I won't as long as you don't pull the self harm shit again."

"I won't"

"Good, talk"

"I was having a hard time tonight, I kept wanting to hold your hand but that just isn't something we do. So I ended up laying on you, since that's okay. Then Mal started in on her favorite drinking subject and it was just too much."

jay felt his stomach twist at Carlos's words, he tried to imagine things from his point of view. No wonder he reacted like he did, Jay probably would have been way worse. Jay silently ran his hand down Carlos's arm and tangled their fingers together. "I would have held your hand, I can't even imagine the control you have around me. Sorta related to that, Evie told me we need to talk feelings. I spent some time thinking about mine, you know so I'd actually be able to talk about them." jay paused while Carlos snorted trying to hide a laugh. "I think I'd like to try being more than friends with you."

Carlos felt his jaw drop, he couldn't resist the opportunity jay had just handed him, "you're already my best friend" Carlos said trying to sound innocent.

"You're a fucktard" Jay deadpanned "but, Carlos de Vil, would you humor me with a date and be my fucktard?"

"Really? This isn't some joke where Mal comes out from under the bleachers laughing at me for being gullible?"

"No, shes busy getting torn up by Evie. I have never seen the blueberry that pissed."

"Oh fine, but if this turns out to be a joke I will murder you in your sleep." Carlos told him.

Jay smirked, "I'd expect nothing less" before pressing chaste kiss to Carlos's lips. "You may have been the worst villain I've ever heard of -" jay started only to be cut off.

"But you have heard of me!" Carlos said quoting one of his favorite movies.

"I was gonna say but I've seen you when you're pissed off. I like yours too though."

See I did a good thing!" Mal said the next morning when Jay admitted him and Carlos were a couple now.

"You did a fucking stupid thing that happened to end well." Jay said.

"I'm still hearing good" Mal said sing song.

Jay silently held Carlos's arm out for her to see, "Really good, upset one of your best friends until he slices his arm open. Fan-fucking-tastic." Jay growled.

"Dude, chill. I'm fine, it's Mal, for her this basically was being good." Carlos said, pulling his arm back before Evie came in and got motherly on him, "just let it go" he added, singing the last three words.

"That's it no more movies for you!" Jay said while laughing.


End file.
